Paramount is merging with Skydance. This means that CBS will change hands.
Which apparently means that the NFL could open its current deal with CBS.
Which the Commissioner didn’t rule out on Thursday.
Appearing on CNBC, Goodell was asked about the possibility that a CBS ownership change will allow the NFL to renegotiate the CBS contract.
“Do you plan to?” Goodell was asked. “What do you expect to happen?”
“Well, listen, CBS has been a great partner for us back to 1956, I think,” Goodel said. “They’ve been extraordinary, right up to the Super Bowl this past year where we had record ratings at the Super Bowl, over 200 million people watching. So they’ve been a great partner.
“We’ll obviously be paying close attention to the process. We know Skydance. We’re partners with Skydance. They’ve done a terrific job with our relationship. So we’ll look at the structure of the deal. We’ll see how it impacts us. We’ll see how it impacts our business and we’ll make the best decision for the NFL at that point.”
The best decision for the NFL usually takes the form of one word: More. Opening up the contract will result, inevitably, in more for the NFL.
Currently, the league can end all broadcast deals four years early, putting every package back on the market after the 2029 season. If the NFL could put half of the Sunday afternoon package out to bid, the league definitely won’t get less than what CBS is paying.
If someone else would pay more, CBS could be out. Just like it was from 1994 through 1997, after Fox poached the NFC package.
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